My Cool Ohio Guy
by TheFirstMrsHummel
Summary: Honking long one-shot sequel to Mother's Day.  When Kurt and Dave return to Lima from NYC on Thanksgiving break, they find that not a few things have changed since they left for college.


_**This story has been knocking about in my head ever since I wrote the final chapter of Mother's Day, and a few weeks later, fell in love with a certain song on Lady Gaga's Born This Way CD. It won't make much sense if you haven't read Mother's Day; and if you didn't really like Sandy much, you might not like this sequel either. But the muse insisted on this being written before the Glee Season 3 premier, and I am but her humble servant.**_

On a cold, late November afternoon, Kurt and Dave stood on the porch of the Karofsky house, while Dave fumbled for his key. "Can you take my duffel bag, Kurt?" asked Dave. I'm having a problem here, apparently."

"Sure," said Kurt, leaning in to take the bag, and stealing a kiss from Dave's cheek while he was at it. He liked watching how his boyfriend's expression changed from irritated to pleased at the light buss.

"Thanks, babe," said Dave fondly, finding his key finally and shoving in the lock. Swinging the door open, he called out. "Hey, Dad! I'm home. I brought Kurt with me, hope that's okay." They heard soft thumping as they walked into the living room, and Paul Karofsky finished descending the stairs in stocking feet as they closed the door behind them.

"David!" he said, a huge smile appearing on his face. He walked over and embraced his son warmly. "I'm so glad you're here." He pulled back, looking at Dave but not letting go quite yet. "How was the drive from New York?"

"Not bad," said Dave. "We took turns, and stopped a few times, so it was fine."

At the mention of Kurt, Paul dropped his arms from Dave and turned towards the smaller young man. "Hey, Kurt," he said, extending his hand. "Happy holidays."

Kurt shook it. "Hi, Mr. Karofsky," he said with a smile.

"I've told you before, you can call me Paul," Paul said.

"Maybe once Dave gets up the nerve to take my dad up on his offer to call him Burt," said Kurt. They all chuckled, and Dave took his bag back from Kurt.

"Now there's a lovely sound," said a female voice. "Three men, laughing it up together. Very nice." Sandy walked in from the kitchen, wearing dark slim-fit jeans and a one-shouldered black top with a hot pink and white graphic print.

"Sandy!" exclaimed Kurt, unable to hide his excitement. He ran over and gave her a big hug. "We didn't know you were going to be here to greet us. What a treat, right, Dave?"

Dave tried not to roll his eyes. He could tell Kurt was honestly surprised by Sandy's presence, not that he doubted that his boyfriend would ever be part of misleading him again. But Kurt's enthusiasm for seeing his mother definitely outweighed Dave's own. "Hi, Sandy," he said mildly. "It's nice to see you again."

"Likewise," said Sandy, releasing Kurt. "You look wonderful," she said. "Both of you."

There was a slightly awkward pause, during which Dave gave up. He walked forward and hugged Sandy tentatively, knowing it would make everyone else in the room happy. It was Thanksgiving, and he and Kurt were home on their first trip back from college. He didn't _mind_ hugging his mother, and if it smoothed everything over, why not do it? "Thanks," he said. "You look good too." He wasn't too shocked that Sandy was there. They'd emailed a few times since Dave moved to New York, mostly Dave looking for advice about the city, since she'd lived there many times over the years. He knew she and his dad were cool with each other, and maybe his dad even thought Dave wouldn't bother going to see her if she didn't come to their house. He wasn't thrilled that she was there, but he wasn't upset either. Since Nationals, Dave's attitude towards Sandy could be categorized as pleasantly tolerant; accepting that she did love him and was sorry, but personally feeling no real need for a deeper connection with her. She and Kurt texted and Skyped frequently, however; and Dave knew he would put up with her and be nice if for no other reason than because Kurt adored her, and she adored Kurt.

Sandy blushed and made a waving movement with her hand. "It's nice to have you boys home," she said. "I've missed you both." At Dave's arched eyebrow, she smiled. "Glee this year is definitely not the same without you two."

"I'll bet," said Kurt, smirking confidently.

Sandy sat on the arm of the sofa, gesturing for the boys to sit down. "Although, we do have some promising new members. I don't think anyone could really replace Rachel, but this new girl, Bethany? She's got a fantastic voice. She even looks a little like her, really pretty with dark hair. She's got bright blue eyes, though, and she sure doesn't have Rachel's confidence. Still, I wish I could have heard them sing together – it would have been epic."

"Anyone else who really stands out?" asked Kurt, absently taking Dave's hand as he settled beside him.

"Well, I know you were a pretty unique voice in glee," said Sandy, a little hesitantly. "I hate to say it, but I think we've got someone who even out-unusuals you."

Kurt gave a mock gasp, bringing his free hand to his heart. "I refuse to believe it," he said melodramatically. "You wound me, Sandy."

Sandy giggled, sounding more like a teenager than the mother of one. Paul had come to sit on the comfortable-looking recliner next to the couch, and Kurt saw him look at his ex-wife in a way that caught his attention immediately. It reminded him of how Finn would sometimes look at Rachel when she sang, like the sound was reaching him in a place nothing else could. Dave had referred to it as Finn's _derp_ face. Sandy continued, shaking Kurt out of his thoughts. "His name is Darius. And he's…well, if we put you and Mercedes in a blender, that's who you'd get. He auditioned with _I Am Changing_ from _Dreamgirls_, and I thought Will and I would be blown out of the back of the auditorium." She paused for maximum effect. "He also did the whole thing in drag."

"You're _kidding_," said Dave, eyes wide.

"No, really," said Sandy. "And I'm not talking about 'regular guy dressed as a chick for Halloween' drag either. The makeup, the clothes, the wig…seriously professional quality. He could easily pass as a girI, especially with that voice. In fact, I think he feels more comfortable performing as a female than a male, but I'm not a hundred percent sure about that. Darius also attends the PFLAG meetings in drag most of the time. He's trying to figure out if he's just a transvestite, or if he might actually be leaning towards transsexual or genderqueer. "

Kurt was stunned. "Does he get treated okay?", he asked. "I mean, I got so much crap, and even I never went full on drag." He paused, considering. "Okay, half drag, when I did the Victor/Victoria number. But it was just that once, and no one but the kids in glee knew about it."

"PFLAG has really made a world of difference at McKinley," said Sandy. "What you two did? It's had a lasting effect into this school year. There are at least five or six completely out kids that I know of so far. They do get pushed around and verbally harassed somewhat, from what I hear. And slushies are still a weapon of choice," she said, in a disappointed voice. "But they stick together, and all seem to have found some straight friends as well that accept them. There's this unspoken agreement that they stay in groups on school grounds, and go to the bathrooms or locker rooms in teams of two, so no one's caught alone in there. It's not perfect, but it's a lot better than in the past, from what Will and Emma tell me."

"We've started going to the school board meetings every month," said Paul, surprising Kurt and Dave. "A good-sized group of students, teachers and parents, trying to get an anti-bullying policy passed for the entire district." He looked at Kurt. "Your dad and Carole are part of it, too."

"But you don't even have kids there anymore," said Dave, puzzled.

"That does get brought up on occasion. But we still pay taxes, so we have every right to be heard," said Paul. "Look, you guys started something last year, something that's making a difference. You can't be here anymore to follow through with it, but that doesn't mean we can't." Paul cleared his throat. "I can't speak to anyone else's motivations for doing it, but for me, I have a lot to make up for."

"What are you talking about?" asked Dave, still confused.

"I was clueless about what was going on with you up until nearly the end of your senior year, son," he said. "I didn't get involved back then, because I didn't know." Sandy reached out and touched his shoulder briefly, and Kurt saw Dave's eyes rivet on the gesture. Kurt gave his hand a gentle squeeze as Paul continued. "There's a lot of other parents out there like me in Lima, who would do anything for their kids, but just don't realize there's actually a problem. So until they do know, I figure I can stand in for them."

"How did we not know about this?" asked Kurt. "My dad and Carole never said anything."

"We all agreed we didn't want to distract you," said Paul. "Being away from home for the first time, starting college, living in a huge metropolitan city – the last thing you needed was to be thinking about what was going on at your old school. Your job is to move on with your lives. There's no telling where you'll go or what you'll do. But us adults here in Lima, this is our home. It may not be much, but we can still try to make it as good as a place as possible to live."

Dave and Kurt looked at each other, taking a moment to absorb it all. "Wow," said Dave, finally. "Sounds like a lot's been happening since we left. Anything else new and exciting to report?" he said in an off-hand manner. His casual question had a very interesting affect on his father. Paul shifted, and color rose to his cheeks. Dave didn't ever think he'd seen his dad blush before, and it was like watching him grow a third arm.

"Well…" said Paul, seeming nervous. "Um, you remember last year, when I joked about joining one of those internet dating sites?"

"Yeah," said Dave, cautiously.

"Well, I finally did it," Paul said. "It was so quiet around here with you gone, and for the first time in long time, I felt lonely. So I signed up for PlentyOfFish. It was free, so I figured, what could it hurt? I filled in the profile, asked for responses from women in a thirty mile radius, uploaded a picture and hoped for the best." He moved around restlessly in his chair again, eyes darting around the room.

Kurt couldn't help it; Paul's behavior was kind of adorable, and since it reminded him a lot of how cute his son was when similarly bashful, he just had to grin and comment. "I take it you had some luck?" he said with just a hint of teasing.

"Actually, I did," Paul responded, finally looking at Dave and Kurt. "Am I that obvious?" At Kurt's attempt to hide a smile while nodding, he snorted. "Never did have much of a poker face, I guess. Anyway, yes, I did get some responses, even a few from some ladies right here in Lima. Some of them were a little intense or downright scary, but there were two or three that I started corresponding with, and eventually met for coffee. And one of them…well, we really hit it off."

Dave stared at his father. "Are you telling me that you have a _girlfriend?_" he said, disbelievingly. As much as he'd meant what he said to his dad last year about finding someone, the reality of knowing his father was dating a woman was completely weird. It just wasn't something he'd ever had to deal with before. "And you never thought about mentioning this on the phone?"

"Like I said, I didn't want to distract you from school," Paul explained. "And up until very recently, I didn't know if it was going anywhere. I thought it would be better to wait until you got home, so we could talk about it in person."

Kurt could tell Dave was getting a little agitated, so he squeezed his boyfriend's hand again, and rubbed his shoulder with the other one. He felt Dave's tense muscles relax, and exhaled in relief. "So, what's the mystery woman like?" Kurt asked. As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly remembered that Sandy was in the room. He and Dave had been so busy goggling at Paul, neither of them had spared her a glance since the subject of dating came up. Kurt looked at the arm of the couch, wondering if it would be uncomfortable for her to listen to her ex talk about dating again. What he saw was vey unexpected, and he was grateful that Dave's attention was still on his father. Sandy was blushing furiously, so much so that the color extended down her neck and to the top of her bare shoulder. She was looking at Paul with a strange look; half-scared and half-excited, if he had to take a stab at interpreting it. Looking closer, he could see that her clasped hands were trembling minutely, and there was the barest sheen of sweat at her hairline. _Holy fucking shit_, Kurt thought. He had to be misreading the signs. Because if this was what he thought it was? Dave was going to freak out completely. His hand tightened unconsciously on Dave's shoulder, causing his boyfriend to look over at him.

Seeing where Kurt's gaze was focused, he looked in the same direction. _What the hell?_ he thought. Sandy was red as a tomato, and shaking slightly. _Is she pissed that dad's dating again? Where does she get off?_ Irked, Dave spoke. "You have something to say, about this, Sandy?" he said in an irritated voice. "You look like you're going to pop. Come on, out with it."

_Oh no, Dave, sweetie_, thought Kurt desperately. Dave was as easy as clear glass to see through. _You've got it all wrong_. He closed his eyes, as the inevitable train wreck thundered towards them. He heard movement, though, and opened his eyes to watch Sandy cross the short distance to where Paul was sitting. _Here we go_.

Dave was completely confused when Sandy didn't answer his question, and instead walked over to stand by his dad. They were both looking at him as if he should know what the fuck was going on, their faces all nervous and almost apologetic. Then, as if in slow motion, his dad looked up at Sandy and held his hand up. She bit her lip, then lifted her hand to take it. Dave heard a buzzing in his ears, the kind people talk about hearing before they faint. His dad and Sandy were holding hands. His father, and the woman who had run off on both of them eighteen years ago, were holding hands in the middle of the goddamn living room. "What in the fuck is going on here?" asked Dave in a cold monotone.

To his credit, Paul didn't even mention the language. There were much more important issues to deal with, and it wasn't like he and Sandy hadn't expected their son to be angry. "We didn't plan for this to happen," Paul said. "Sandy had signed up for the same dating site about a month before me. When we were first sent each other as a match, we thought it was funny. She called me, and we had a good laugh over it. But then as I dated those other women - all of whom I had a good time with, by the way - I started thinking about what it was that made the computer or whatever think we'd be a good fit for each other. We tried that once already, right? And it didn't work. But there had to be something between us, or else we wouldn't have gotten together the first time around. I couldn't stop thinking about it, and one night when it was really late, I sent Sandy a message through the site telling her what I was thinking. I thought she'd reply back saying that I was crazy, but she didn't. Instead, her message said…" he trailed off, looking up at Sandy.

"I wrote, 'I can't stop thinking about the same thing, either'," Sandy said quietly.

"So we decided to go out on a date," said Paul. "Not a 'let's spend the night re-hashing the past and talking about how we hope our son is doing okay in New York' date. Just a date where we talked about where we were right now; our interests, likes and dislikes, and values. It had been so long, and we've both changed a lot, so it really was like getting to know a whole new person all over again. But there was still that familiarity, and the memory of the good times that we did have." There was also the fact that their physical attraction apparently hadn't disappeared completely, but Paul chose wisely not to bring that up. "We closed Breadstix down, they actually had to throw us out at eleven pm so the staff could go home."

"We started seeing each other regularly, about a month ago," said Sandy. "We wanted to tell you sooner, but over the phone…it just seemed like maybe you'd understand better if we did it face to face."

"Understand?" asked Dave, his voice rising. He could feel Kurt start to put his arms around him, and murmur something soothing in his ear. He stood up, throwing Kurt's arms off and not even looking down to see what he imagined would be his boyfriend's hurt expression. "How can I understand this? I mean, I get why _she_ might want you back," he said with a scathing glance at Sandy. "She had a good thing, and she fucked it all up. Just like with me, she wants to have it all. To duck all the responsibility for years and years, and still wind up with a son that loves her. But you, dad?" Dave paused for a minute; he was angry, not hurt, and he was not going to frigging _cry _of all things. "How could you want her again, after what she did? How could you ever, ever trust her again?"

"David, we've talked about this," said Paul, standing up. "It wasn't all her fault. How I behaved, it was part of why she left. Neither of us wanted the same things, but we got married anyway. There was no way it could have worked, when neither of us accepted or even respected what the other one wanted. But we're in a different place in our lives now. We do want the same things. We both want to have our lives here, our businesses...to watch our son become an adult, and create his own life and family."

"So just like that, I'm supposed to forget everything and be happy for you two?" spat Dave.

"Of course not, David," said Sandy, tears in her eyes, but voice steady. "If you can't be supportive of our relationship, we understand. It's pretty much what we expected."

"But you did it anyway?" said Dave. "How unusual. Sandy wants something, and the rest of the world just has to suck it up while she gets it."

"David," said Paul, his contrite tone melting away, and firmness coming into his voice. "This isn't just about what Sandy wants. This is what I want, too. I love you, and I care about what you feel and think. But you need to know, I'm not going to stop seeing your mother, just because it upsets you."

Part of Dave knew he was being unreasonable. His dad was entitled to his own life, especially with Dave living almost half a country away, except for a few weeks here and there for school breaks. It wasn't like he'd have to see him and Sandy being together day after day, watching her try to worm her way into their family again. But the other part of him, the part that still felt like a scared little boy who didn't understand why he didn't have a mother like all his other friends did? That part was hearing his father, who had _always _put Dave first, choose what both he and his traitorous ex-wife wanted over his son. The hurt and anger boiled up inside him, shocking him with its intensity and familiarity. It had been a long time since Dave had lashed out in anger at anyone, but it was frightening how easy it was to slip back into masking distress with rage. He narrowed his eyes at his parents, taking an intimidating step forward. Sandy shrank back against Paul, and Dave didn't even try to resist the nasty feeling of satisfaction it gave him.

It was so much worse than Kurt had imagined. He sprung up off the couch, trying to pull Dave back, but it was like tugging on a tree, or other immovable object. His boyfriend Dave, who he loved with all his heart, was regressing back into the bully formerly known as Karofsky before his eyes. It was both terrifying and heartbreaking, and Kurt felt his breath hitch. "Dave, please," he said gently, but it was like the bigger boy couldn't hear him at all.

"Fine," said Dave, icily. "You two want to hook up again, be my guest. But if you're fucking her, I hope you do a better job on the birth control this time around." It took a moment for the disbelief to pass, but when it did, everyone else in the room reacted simultaneously.

"David!" cried Sandy, shocked. She didn't think she could have been more stung if her son had walked up to her and slapped her across the face. In fact, at the moment she felt as if it would have been preferable.

"No," gasped Kurt, shaking his head. He knew Dave was hurting, but that comment was so offensive, he was appalled. He wouldn't have thought that the boy he knew now would ever use words that could cut so deep.

Paul didn't say anything, but his eyes widened and mouth fell open in dismay. David had never cursed at him before, or spoken directly to him so hatefully. It was more obvious to him than ever that there was a side to his son that he'd never known; one that apparently still lurked under the surface.

Dave, for his part, started regretting the words the moment he spoke them. This felt familiar, too; the initial satisfaction of striking out, followed by the guilt and shame that always followed. But he was still angry, and couldn't bring himself to do anything but stand there stubbornly while his mother, father and boyfriend stared at him in judgment.

Nudging Sandy slightly behind him, Paul addressed his son in an equally chilly tone. "I know that you're upset, David. But I will not let you get away with saying something so completely disrespectful to me. Or your mother. Not under _my_ roof, the one that I've worked my ass off all these years to put over your head." Dave averted his eyes momentarily and clenched his big hands into fists. "You need to apologize to both of us. Right now, David."

Dave felt Kurt touch his shoulder. _Do it_, he thought. _Just like hugging Sandy earlier, just say you're sorry and you can smooth this all over._ But when he tried to apologize, he just couldn't make the words come. The anger and hurt were still there, a tight ball in his stomach that made him feel like he wanted to throw up. He wasn't ready to let it go, though, so he looked his dad straight in the eye again. "No," he said, quietly but very clearly.

"Then you can leave," said Paul.

That got a reaction from Dave, who felt like he'd been punched in the chest. "What?" he said. "You're…throwing me out?" He remembered being worried about that back before he came out to his father. Even though he knew it was stupid, and that his dad would never toss him out just because he was gay. Even though the reason was different, though, it still hurt just as much as he'd feared it would. Maybe more.

"I've never asked that much of you, David," said Paul, and Dave could now hear the pain in his voice. "Do good in school, be a good kid in general. A few chores here and there, and don't let me get a call from the cops saying you need to be picked up at the station. But the number one thing I've asked you, that I've needed you to do, is be respectful to me. It's not much to ask, and if you can't manage it, I think you need to be somewhere else."

Dave felt tears come to his eyes, but he tried to blink them away. "You're choosing her over me," he said miserably. "You're making me leave, because you want to be with her."

"Dave," said Kurt, realizing that separating Dave from his parents would probably be best at that point. They were all getting overly emotional, and nothing good was going to come of the faceoff between Dave and his dad. "Come on, you can come to my house for now. Dad and Carole won't mind, and we can talk there, okay? Just the two of us."

Dave nodded, turning his back on Paul and Sandy. He picked up his bag and walked to the front door with Kurt. _Happy fucking Thanksgiving_, he thought. Dave turned back briefly, noticing that his father had his arm around Sandy, who now had tears streaming down her cheeks. "She always does this, you know," he said, addressing his father. "She messes everything up. I never thought anyone could make you hate me, but I guess she can."

"I don't hate you, David," said Paul. "I never could. But the only person messing things up right now is you. I hope that when you realize that, you'll come back to apologize for saying what you did."

Dave turned and opened the door, walking out to the car abruptly without another word. Kurt looked sympathetically towards Dave's parents, torn between his concern for them, and for their son. "I'm so sorry," he said. "He needs some time and space to take it all in, I think."

"Take care of him, Kurt," said Paul, finally letting his voice become choked and vulnerable. "Make sure he knows that no matter what, I love him. We both do."

"I know," said Kurt, turning to leave. He walked down to the curb where the rental car sat, Dave sitting in the passenger seat with a sad look that made his heart hurt. Sighing, he went around to the driver's side and slid behind the wheel. He buckled himself in, then took Dave's hand from where it lay limply in his lap. Raising it to his lips, he placed a soft kiss on the palm, and settled it back into place. Digging out his keys and shifting into drive, Kurt pulled out from the curb and drove to his parent's house. It was a silent trip, and Kurt and Dave arrived to find a dark and empty house.

It all came back to Kurt. Tonight was the night the 2011 glee club was supposed to reunite at a local all ages bar that featured karaoke on Tuesday nights. Originally Burt and Carole had planned on skipping their usual weekly bowling league, but upon hearing that Kurt and Finn would be out for most of the evening, decided to attend as usual, and just catch up with their sons later that evening. Finn must have decided to go out and catch up with Rachel before the get-together. The two of them had been trying to make the long distance thing work, with Rachel alongside Kurt at Julliard, and Finn attending OSU in Columbus. Kurt didn't hold out much hope for it to last, but so far they seemed to be making it work. "Looks like we've got the place to ourselves," he said to Dave with a small smile.

"Cool," said Dave, so quietly that Kurt had to strain to hear him. He got out of the car and took his duffle bag out from the back seat, and waited for Kurt to pop the trunk. When he did, Dave took out the large steamer suitcase and smaller matching bag inside, picking up the latter while his boyfriend hauled out the former. Had things been normal, he would have teased Kurt yet again about bringing so many clothes for less than a week's stay, but any kind of levity had abandoned him at that point. Kurt opened the front door with his key, and they dumped their bags by the front door while he locked it behind him again.

He flicked the foyer light on, looking up at Dave. His boyfriend looked so sad, so lost in a way Kurt hadn't seen in many months. Not saying a word, he held his arms out and Dave collapsed into them, his tears finally breaking though. He clung to Kurt so tightly it was hard to breathe, but Kurt only hugged him back and felt the dampness begin to soak through the shoulder of his sweater. He held him until the first wave seemed to pass, then pulled back and wiped his thumbs under Dave's eyes. "Little better?" he questioned softly.

Dave nodded, sniffling. "Yeah, a little," he agreed. "I'm so sorry you had to sit through that, Kurt. I'd have never brought you with me there if I'd thought anything like that might happen."

"It's okay," said Kurt. "It was rough, but I'm glad I was there. I wouldn't want to think about you going through that alone, even if it was kind of horrible to witness."

"Do you think I'm a terrible person now?" Dave said.

Kurt almost laughed, but he could see that Dave was totally serious. "Grab your bag," he said, instead of answering the question. "We should move this up to my room, I think." The two boys climbed the stairs to Kurt's room, dropping their luggage at the foot of his bed. Kurt's phone buzzed, and he took it out of his jeans pocket to read the incoming text. It was from Finn.

_rach & i r leaving now 4 dinner. c you 4 karaoke l8tr?_

Quickly, Kurt typed out a reply.

_No, we're going to skip it. Something happened earlier. I'll fill you in when you get home. Tell everyone we're sorry._

He turned his phone off and tossed in on the dresser. Kurt then locked his bedroom door, and walked over to take Dave's hands, tugging him over to the bed. The both sat on the edge, and Kurt kissed Dave's hand again before responding to his earlier question. "No, Dave," he said, "I don't think you're a terrible person."

Dave sighed with obvious relief. "I-" he started to say, but Kurt held up a hand to silence him.

"I don't think you're a terrible person," Kurt repeated. "But I do think you said some terrible things. I think you were hurt, and angry, and you wanted Sandy and your dad to hurt just as much as you." When Dave didn't deny his words, he continued. "It was hard to watch, seeing you be so cruel and mean-spirited again. I haven't seen you like that in almost two years, and I have to say, I don't miss it."

Dave looked down, trying to hide the new tears that sprang up. "I'm sorry," he said, hollowly.

"You don't need to apologize," said Kurt, and Dave looked up quickly, surprised. "Not to _me_, anyway. It's part of you. A part that you've worked hard to overcome, but it's still there. It might always be there, in some way."

"No, Kurt," said Dave, gripping his soft hands. "I've changed, you know I have." Oh God, was Kurt breaking things off with him? He started to panic.

"Of course you have," said Kurt. "I never meant anything different. But you dealt with pain by lashing out for so long…that's not going to go away very easily, if ever. Especially when it comes to dealing with things that aren't even halfway to completely healed yet. But I love you, Dave. I love all the parts of you, and accept them. I know that you've come so far, and that you still try every day to be the best person you can be. And that's why I'll never turn away from you, or stop loving you, just because you might stumble back into some old, unhealthy behaviors." He paused, bringing one of his hands to Dave's slightly stubbled cheek. "Even though I don't think you really trust me not to."

"Of course I trust you, Kurt!" Dave exclaimed. "How can you even say that?"

"Dave, a minute ago, you looked scared to death. Are you really going to try and tell me it didn't even cross your mind that I was breaking up with you?"

Dave didn't even try to lie. "Okay, yeah, I was maybe a little worried for a minute there," he said. "But not because I don't trust you. It was just a stupid reaction, it didn't mean anything."

"Dave, when it comes to you and trust, it _all _means something," said Kurt. "And I understand. What you went through with Sandy leaving, and then reappearing again unexpectedly through the years? All that time hiding your sexuality from basically every other person in your life? Dave, if you _didn't_ have trust issues, it would be a miracle."

"Fine, I have trust issues," said Dave flatly. "Happy?"

"I'm not trying to score points off you, you know," said Kurt, and Dave had the grace to look slightly ashamed by that. "I'm just telling you what I see. You don't trust that Sandy won't leave your dad broken-hearted again. You don't trust that your dad won't decide that Sandy's more important to him than you are. And you don't trust that I won't wind up hurting and betraying you eventually."

"Kurt…"

"But do you really think that Sandy would screw up a second chance with your dad again, knowing how much she regrets the hurt she caused the first time around, for both you and him? And you really believe that your dad would pick Sandy if he really had to decide between the two of you?" Kurt swallowed before continuing. "Do you really, really think, that after everything we went through to be together, that I'd turn around and destroy it?"

"I know you're right," said Dave. "In my head, I know none of those things are true. But I'm scared, Kurt."

"Of what?"

"I'm scared to hope that things will be okay," Dave admitted. "Maybe it's because I'm not used to things going so well for me. Or maybe it's because I don't think I deserve it, after everything I've done. But I love you, Kurt; I want to try to be more trusting, so I won't bring all this depressing baggage down on us anymore. You deserve better than that in a relationship."

"So do you, Dave," said Kurt, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend tenderly.

The sweet kiss, along with the talking out, was starting to lift Dave's black mood a little. "Maybe I need to do some of those trust exercises, like you see in movies or on TV."

"You mean, like when one person closes their eyes and falls back, and has to trust that the other person will catch them?" asked Kurt.

"Something like that," said Dave, with a small smile. "Not exactly that, though. Because if I fell back with all my dead weight, and you tried to catch and hold me up, I think you'd wind up in traction."

"Probably not the best idea," agreed Kurt, returning the smile. A thought occurred to him, and not for the first time. His smile got a bit bigger, with a definite sensual edge to it.

"What?" said Dave, becoming distracted. That smile always distracted him, because it usually led to some very sexy times with his boyfriend.

"Do you trust me, Dave?" Kurt said, his voice low and smooth.

"I do," said Dave. It felt like the room temperature had gone up several degrees, very quickly.

"Then take your clothes off," Kurt said, reaching for the hem of his own sweater.

"My…" Dave started, as he watched Kurt discard his top and start to work on the fly of his tight jeans. He wasn't sure what Kurt had in mind, but anything involving one or both of them being naked had to be an improvement over the last ninety minutes. Dave pulled off his Fordham Rams sweatshirt and gray cargo pants, leaving his boxers on when he saw that Kurt had stayed in his snug plum briefs. The skimpy underwear didn't do much to mask his boyfriend's growing erection, and he felt himself swell in response to the arousing sight. Kurt approached Dave, bringing his hands to his broad chest and stroking the soft, silky hair. Lifting his head for a kiss, their chests pressed together, and they moaned into each other's mouths at the contact.

They had been taking the physical part of their relationship one step at a time; Kurt had never made it past first base with Blaine, and Dave of course had no real experience, period. It had actually been kind of weird for Dave to think of himself as a sexual being at first. Though he'd fantasized about Kurt's body, his feelings prior to the two of them dating had been more romantic than anything else. He'd never really pictured himself doing anything to Kurt, or any other guy, for that matter. He knew from the PFLAG meetings that his feelings weren't uncommon; just like being attracted to the opposite sex didn't necessarily make a person want to go right out and get laid, being gay didn't turn you into an instant sex monster either. Combined with his years of discomfort about being attracted to boys in the first place, finding his comfort level with anything beyond kissing and some minor, clothed frotting had taken some time, and was still a work in progress. They hadn't even been fully naked together until they left for college (though that was more due to lack of opportunity), and the first time Dave had rubbed his cock against Kurt's warm, bare skin, he'd come in mere moments. He'd have been embarrassed, if it weren't for the fact that Kurt came almost immediately after him. They'd eventually worked up some stamina, and had even graduated to receiving blowjobs from each other within the last month.

"Come lie on my bed," said Kurt. "I'd like to give you a back rub, if that's okay. Work some of that tension out of those amazing shoulders of yours."

"That sounds nice," said Dave. He pulled down the comforter and lay down on the bed on his stomach, turning his head to the side to watch Kurt snag a bottle of lotion off his vanity.

Kurt came back to the bed, climbing on it and settling himself on the backs of Dave's thighs. He squirted a large dollop of lotion onto his hands, rubbing them together to warm it up before bringing them to Dave's broad shoulders. He'd been right about the tension; Dave's muscles were tight and knotted, but beneath Kurt's hands they began to relax slowly. Dave let out a pleasured moan that went right to Kurt's cock, and he resisted the temptation to push his burgeoning hardness into Dave's legs. Instead he worked his way down his boyfriend's back, kneading and stroking everywhere, until Dave was a pile of mush beneath him. He arrived at the waistband on Dave's boxers. "Can I take these off?" he asked. "So I can work your lower back and glutes?"

"Huh?" said Dave woozily. They had found out after a particularly rough football practice that Kurt had a previously undiscovered talent for giving back rubs, which never failed to make Dave feel like his entire body was made of Jell-O. "Ohhhh…sure, babe," he responded, with a slight slur to his words.

Kurt got off and removed Dave's shorts. After checking to make sure that Dave's eyes were closed, he slipped his own briefs off as well, leaving them both naked. He climbed back on, adjusting his half-hard dick so it didn't rub up against Dave. He took a moment to pet the small patch of hair at the base of his boyfriend's spine, running his fingers through it. He didn't know why – maybe because he hadn't realized until seeing Dave undressed that some men even had hair in that spot – but he found it both arousing and cute in equal measures. He bent over and kissed the spot quickly, then dug his fingers into the muscles beneath. Dave grunted and groaned as Kurt rubbed his thumbs in hard circles, going lower to massage the upper area of Dave's muscular buttocks. After a few moments, when he could tell that Dave was as relaxed as he'd ever been, Kurt gentled his touch and brought the fingertips of one hand to the cleft of Dave's ass. He gave a gentle stroke up and down, tracing the crack without making any attempt to slide between. As he expected, Dave tensed almost immediately, so Kurt stopped and waited a quiet moment.

The minute Dave felt Kurt's touch _there_, Dave was jarred out of his dazed, relaxed state. Despite how intimate he and Kurt were, and how much more comfortable he'd become with his sexuality, the whole _ass _thing was something that Dave was still trying to come to terms with. He didn't mind touching Kurt's ass; especially when he could hear and see how much his boyfriend loved it when he stroked him there, or penetrated him a little with a finger on occasion. But his own butt was, as far as he was concerned, a no-fly zone. He'd been almost embarrassed about it at first, like he wasn't properly gay because the thought of something up his ass made him close up tighter than an ant's nostril. But then he thought back to one of the guest speakers they'd had at one of their PFLAG meetings, from the LGBT Pride Clinic in Cleveland. The man had casually explained that not all gay men had anal sex, or enjoyed experiencing any sort of anal penetration. Depending on the study, he had informed the group, about one-third to one-quarter of homosexual men reported never having engaged in anal sex. It had sort of blown Dave's mind, because having zero desire to take it up the ass was one of the things that had made him cling to the hope that he might actually be straight for so many years. If he was honest with himself, he thought he might be okay with the idea of some contact from the outside. But as he'd told Kurt after rejecting his touch there a few times, he was nervous. Because it seemed like once you let someone start messing around down there, it might be really easy for something to slip inside, even unintentionally. Kurt hadn't tried to push him on the subject; just kissed him gently and told him to say something if he changed his mind.

After giving Dave a couple of minutes to think, Kurt stroked his fingers again, for the first time not backing off completely at Dave's hesitance.

"Do you trust me, Dave?" he said again.

Dave swallowed. You _had to mention trust exercises, didn't you?_ he thought. "I do," said Dave, repeating his earlier response.

"So," said Kurt, with a confident tone that Dave found kind of exciting, despite his nervousness. "That means you know that no matter how much I touch you down here, I won't come inside you. Not unless you tell me you want it." He traced the crevice softly, pressing down the tiniest bit and separating Dave's buttocks slightly. "You know that, right Dave?" he pressed.

"Yes," said Dave, closing his eyes. He did trust Kurt, more than anyone else he knew. He loved him, and knew that his boyfriend would do anything to avoid hurting him. Taking a deep breath, he relaxed, unclenching his glutes for the first time since Kurt had moved from massage to seduction.

Kurt smiled, and felt himself filled with warmth and joy. For Dave to even allow the beginnings of receiving anal play pleased him enormously. Not only because it really, really turned him on; but because it was a leap of faith on Dave's part that Kurt wasn't sure he'd see anytime soon, if ever. He grabbed the lotion with his free hand and took his stroking one away briefly, squeezing some of the creamy substance onto his fingers and bringing them back to Dave's ass. "I love you, Dave," he said, then slid his now-slick fingers between his lover's buttocks steadily.

Dave inhaled sharply and tightened up again for a moment, trapping Kurt's fingers. But after a few seconds, he released the tension again. _It's Kurt_, he told himself. _He won't hurt you. He won't._

Kurt delved a little deeper, seeking gently and eventually brushing his fingertips over the pucker of Dave's hole. His cock was fully hard now, but he tried to ignore it as much as possible. This was about a lot more than just sex, although he certainly intended to end the encounter with both of them getting off beautifully. "I'm here," he said, voice roughening. "I'm going to touch you here, rub you as long as you think it feels good. But I won't put my finger inside you, I promise. I'll be careful, so nothing happens that you don't want. Do you believe me?"

Dave's breath caught and hitched. "I do," he agreed. "I do believe you." Kurt began to swipe back and forth along his hole, slowly and carefully. At first it felt just plain weird, but after a bit Dave noticed a tingling warmth building. He let out a low, quiet noise, feeling his own cock harden against the cool sheets of Kurt's bed.

Taking Dave's quiet noise as a good sign, Kurt began to vary his touch, exploring what sensations his boyfriend responded too more than others. When Kurt hit on the combination of fast, soft and circular motions, Dave arched back into his fingers and moaned a lot more loudly than before. "Feel good, baby?" said Kurt breathlessly.

"Unh, yeah," grunted Dave. "I like it, Kurt. Keep going, _please_."

Kurt continued to rub against Dave's anus with one hand, but was beginning to feel like he might explode if he didn't get some stimulation of his own. He grabbed his erection with his other hand and started to stroke it, closing his eyes and nearly keening at the feel of some friction there, finally.

Dave looked back at Kurt's cry, and felt his desire ratchet up even higher. The flushed head of Kurt's prick was clearly visible as his slender fingers jerked himself, becoming shiny with precome. Kurt opened his eyes to see Dave staring at him, pupils blown wide with lust, and gasped. Going on pure instinct, he pressed his cock into Dave's left ass cheek and trapped it between his boyfriend's firm buttock and his palm. "Fuck," groaned Dave, as he felt Kurt rut against him in time with the strokes to his asshole. It was a million times hotter than he'd even imagined this could be.

"God, Dave," rasped Kurt. "Feels so good." He knew what he really wanted to do, to feel next; so he tried to calm himself by slowing down a bit. "Do you trust me?" he asked Dave again, making his voice firm despite his desperate need.

"I do," said Dave. Each time he said those words, he felt his worry and anxiety melt away another increment. Kurt had been touching him for a long while, in many different ways, and true to his word there hadn't been the slightest breach of Dave's entrance. Kurt was excited, but in control, and he wasn't going to hurt him. Not tonight, and not ever. "I trust you."

Kurt breathed in, letting go of his dick and snatching the lotion again from the rumpled sheets. He squeezed a thick layer along the top of his erection, then dropped the bottle and used his now free hand to spread the slickness over every inch. When he was completely lubed up, he took his right hand away from Dave's crack and replaced it with his cock, nestling the taut, slippery length between the cheeks.

Dave noticed the change and looked back again, this time to see the flared, weeping head of Kurt's prick at the top of his ass, and feeling the firmness and length of the shaft pressing against his now ultra-sensitive hole. "Oh _Christ_, Kurt," he moaned brokenly, caught again between desire and fear.

"It's okay," said Kurt soothingly. "I won't put it in you, I promise. I just want to rub against you more. I won't come in, I swear. Do you believe me?"

Dave froze momentarily, not answering. He brought his gaze to the sheet beneath him, trying not to freak out. He hadn't wanted Kurt to even touch him with his fingers back there before, but tonight his boyfriend had showed him the pleasure that could come from exactly that. But the more he thought about it, the more he could clearly see the truth. _He won't hurt me. I'm safe with Kurt. I can trust him with every part of me._ "I do," said Dave. He sucked in a breath, words he never thought he'd hear dropping from his own lips. "Get off on my ass, baby. Rub it with your hard cock. I want you to."

Kurt wasn't sure how it was possible to be on the verge of tears and harder than ever before at the same time, but somehow he found himself in precisely that position. He brought his hand to the base of his dick, to help keep his cockhead from coming too close to Dave's entrance, and began to thrust steadily. With the other, he worked his hand under Dave's hips until he could circle his thick erection. "Love you, Dave," he gasped. "Come on…come with me."

The smooth glide of Kurt's shaft being dragged across him felt…fucking amazing. Combined with Kurt's hand squeezing his own length, he was more turned on than he could ever remember being. He began to thrust into Kurt's fist every time Kurt pushed his hips forward, keeping a steady and almost unbearably pleasurable rhythm going. Every doubt, every fear was completely wiped away; there was no room for anything else except the physical feelings of pleasure, and one single thought that kept running in an endless loop through his brain. _Love you, Kurt. Love you, love you…_

Kurt didn't think there could be anything better than feeling and seeing his cock enveloped by Dave's ass cheeks, the pucker of his hole creating a delightful friction against the smooth, tender skin of his shaft. But then Dave started moving with him, bucking into his hand and occasionally gasping out his love for Kurt desperately. The sheer sensuality of their bodies moving together, keeping tempo, was more beautiful than any piece of music Kurt had ever heard. He tried to hold back his orgasm, but he knew it was going to happen very soon. Kurt gripped Dave's dick harder, and sped up the timing of his thrusts. "Gonna come soon…oh _God_, I'm almost there."

"Fuck," Dave ground out, increasing his speed along with Kurt, and feeling the beginning of a burn deep in his belly. "Me too. Keep…unh… going."

The next time Kurt's prick slid up his boyfriend's ass, it was all over. He came with a high-pitched moan, semen spurting out of him and landing all over Dave's lower back. It dampened the beloved patch of hair, and the sight of his favorite spot on Dave's body covered in his glistening come kept him thrusting until it was nearly painful. The minute Dave felt the hot splatter of Kurt's come on his skin, it sent him over the edge too. With a raspy moan vaguely reminiscent of Kurt's name, he shot his load all over Kurt's hand and the sheets beneath it. He could still feel Kurt thrusting gently with a much smaller, much softer cock, and it felt really good as he came down from his own climax.

Eventually Kurt pulled his hand from underneath Dave, and slipped his spent prick from between his buttocks. Sighing blissfully, he collapsed onto his back next to Dave. "That was…" he trailed off, not sure how to put into words what was, at least for him, the best sex they'd ever had.

"Yeah," mumbled Dave, turning onto his side to face Kurt, and feeling some of the come slide off his back onto the sheets. They'd definitely have to change Kurt's bedding before Burt and Carole got home. Dave smiled, watching the rise and fall of Kurt's pale, taut chest as he panted slightly. He leaned over to press a kiss to Kurt's lips, swiping his tongue gently across the bottom one. "I love you, Kurt," he said, pulling back.

"Mmmm…love you too, Dave," said Kurt, bringing the back of his hand not covered in come to Dave's cheek. "Thank you for letting me do that. For trusting me enough to let me."

Dave chuckled. "Pretty sure I should be the one thanking you," he said. "But you're welcome. I really liked it, a lot. Maybe we could…do it again sometime?"

Kurt's face split into a silly grin. "I would love to add that to our repertoire," he said teasingly. "You could even do the honors next time, if you want."

"I think I'd like that," said Dave, winking. "We should probably get the bed and ourselves cleaned up, before your parents get home. And maybe grab some dinner." When he'd gotten to Kurt's house, he thought he'd maybe want to eat again sometime around Christmas. But the tight ball of anger was gone from his stomach, making him realize that he and Kurt hadn't eaten anything since lunch.

Together they quickly set Kurt's room back to rights, took a quick shower, and dug out some Chicken Tetrazzini leftovers from the fridge. As Dave sat at the kitchen table with Kurt, he found his thoughts turning to what had happened earlier. He still was shocked and not happy about his dad and Sandy dating; but man, he had fucked up big time, and he knew it. He shook his head.

"What is it?" said Kurt.

"That was some messed up shit I said at my house, Kurt," he responded. "I'm not looking forward to it, but I'm going to have to go back there and apologize sometime soon. Not just so my dad will let me come back; I mean, I really _am_ sorry. I should have never said something like that, no matter how mad I was."

"I know you are," said Kurt, reaching across the table to pat Dave's hand. "Do you want to do it tonight?"

"I probably should, but I'd really rather wait until tomorrow," Dave said. "Maybe I'm just trying to avoid it, but I giving all of us a little more time and a good night's sleep might not be such a bad idea."

"No, that sounds smart," said Kurt. "I know dad and Carole won't mind if you stay, though I'm pretty sure you'll have to sleep in the guest room."

"Probably for the best," said Dave, smiling. "Not sure I could keep my hands off you if we slept in the same room."

Kurt looked at the clock on the microwave. "It's only eight o'clock," he said. "What do you want to do for the rest of the night? Dad and Carole won't be home for another couple of hours." At Dave's raised eyebrow, he laughed and waved his hand. "Pervert."

Dave returned his laugh. "Okay, okay," he said. "I kinda feel like getting out of here, actually. Maybe we could go see a movie, or something? Or…" he trailed off.

"Or?"

"Would you maybe still like to go to the reunion?" Dave asked. "Get our karaoke on with the old gang?"

"Really?" said Kurt, surprised and delighted.

"Yeah, I feel a lot better, and it'll help take my mind off of everything," Dave said. "I really do want to see everyone, and I know you do too. So what do you say?"

Kurt threw himself into Dave's arms, kissing him in answer. "Let's get our coats," Kurt said.

A short time later, Kurt pulled into the parking lot of The Landing Strip, a slightly run-down townie bar located just down the road from the Lima Allen County Airport. They walked in to the ear numbing sound of an apparently tone deaf woman massacring _All By Myself_. Kurt winced, and started looking around for his former glee club members. He spotted them easily, sitting at a long table. It looked like everyone had made it. Even Mr. Schuester was sitting with his arm around Ms. Pillsbury, and it looked like Coach Bieste had been invited too. His eyes flickered to the end of the table, and his stomach dropped. Dave's parents were sitting between Bieste and Quinn. He felt Dave grip his hand tightly, and start backing away, so he knew he'd seen them too.

Dave backed up until his back hit the wall next to the door. He'd never even thought about the fact that Sandy might be there, even though it made perfect sense. And of course, if she and his dad were dating, she'd bring him along too. There went the idea of attending the reunion, dammit. He looked at his mother, who was nursing a half empty Corona and staring out into space. But then his dad leaned over and whispered something in her ear, and she smiled. Paul said something else, gesturing at the obviously intoxicated singer on the small stage, and she laughed and playfully pushed at his shoulder. Paul laughed too, and threw his arm casually around Sandy's shoulders, like it was something he did often. _God, they look so happy_, Dave thought. Especially his dad. He didn't think he'd ever seen his dad…well, glow like that before. He knew that he and Kurt should leave; just turn around, but he couldn't take his eyes off of his parents.

Kurt was going to ask Dave if he wanted to leave, but taking one look at his expression, he decided to remain silent. Dave was staring at Sandy and Paul, like they were a puzzle he just couldn't figure out. Kurt could tell that he had roughly a thousand emotions running through him at the moment, so he just held Dave's hand and melted into the shadows alongside him. Mercifully, the current singer's number came to an end, and she left the stage with a slight stagger to half-hearted applause.

"And our next singer of the evening," announced the DJ. "Come on up, Sandy Girard!"

The New Directions table burst into applause. Sandy got up, blushing. "I still can't believe I agreed to this," she said with a laugh. "I must have missed you all a lot!" She made her way up to the microphone, shaking her head.

"Go Sandy!" shouted Puck.

Someone in the back of the room gave a wolf whistle, and Sandy rolled her eyes. She spoke into the microphone. "I am going to apologize in advance for this one. I'm a dancer, not a singer, guys." She paused, tossing her hair back and looking over at her table. "At the risk of sounding ridiculously cheesy, this one goes out to a very special guy. I hope it's not too horrible." She nodded at the DJ, and the sounds of a synthesizer and piano rang out before she started to sing. Kurt's mouth dropped open, recognizing it immediately, but Dave couldn't quite place it until he heard the lyrics.

_It's been a long time since I came around_

_Been a long time but I'm back in town_

_This time I'm not leaving without you_

_You taste like whiskey when you kiss me, oh_

_I'd give anything again to be your baby doll_

_This time I'm not leaving without you_

Sandy began to swing her hips to the music, the performer in her coming out instinctively and captivating the crowd. She didn't have a phenomenal voice; but it was low and smooth, with a pleasant tone.

_You said sit back down where you belong_

_In the corner of my bar with your high heels on_

_Sit back down on the couch where we_

_Made love the first time and you said to me_

On the _you_, Sandy pointed directly at Paul, making it very clear who the "special guy" she was singing about was. As if Dave or Kurt had had any doubt. Kurt fought to keep his face neutral, but underneath he was cheering with the crowd. He was a sucker for any type of serenade, and found the whole thing completely adorable. Dave looked a bit shell-shocked though, so he stood next to him quietly without comment.

_Something, something about this place_

_Something 'bout lonely nights and my lipstick on your face_

_Something, something about my cool __**Ohio **__guy_

_Yeah something about, baby, you and I_

As Sandy started the second verse, she started moving off stage, getting closer and closer to her table, finally stopping in front of Paul.

_It`s been __**a few **__years since I let you go,_

_I couldn't listen to a joke or rock `n roll_

_Muscle cars drove a truck right through my heart_

_On my birthday you sang me a heart of gold_

_With a guitar humming and no clothes_

_This time I'm not leaving without you_

_Ooh-oh ooh-oh_

She plopped down on Paul's lap, slinging her arm around his neck and singing directly to him, like no one else in the room existed.

_Sit back down where you belong_

_In the corner of my bar with your high heels on_

_Sit back down on the couch where we_

_Made love the first time and you said to me_

_Something, something about this place_

_Something 'bout lonely nights and my lipstick on your face_

_Something, something about my cool Ohio guy_

_Yeah something about, baby, you and I_

Dave stared at his parents, unable to believe what he was seeing. His mother was practically _straddling_ his father in front of the whole bar. He was sort of mortified at first, but when he looked closely at their faces, he softened a little. Because they both looked incredibly free and happy, the way he thought he must look whenever it hit him how much he adored Kurt. Was this what it had been like for them, when they first met? Falling hard and fast, and not even caring that they were at different places in their lives? It had all seemed so stupid and selfish to Dave, but seeing his dad and Sandy's affection for each other displayed so honestly, it was difficult to remain hard and cold. He knew that if they were strangers he was watching, he probably would have thought the whole thing was completely cute and romantic. He shot a quick look at Kurt, who looked as if it was _killing_ him not to smile. Leaning over, he spoke into Kurt's ear. "I'm not sure if I should be embarrassed, or impressed," he said mildly.

Kurt looked at him, stunned. He was flabbergasted by the humor and warmth in his boyfriend's eyes. Recovering quickly, he grabbed Dave's face and kissed his lips briefly. "You're amazing, Dave," he said, before turning back to the performance.

Sandy moved off Paul's lap, trailing her hand along his shoulder as she made her way around the table singing the rest of the song. She made it back onstage before the bridge, belting out in a way that wasn't perfectly pitched, but so heartfelt that is rocked the audience all the same.

_We got a whole lot of money, but we still pay rent_

'_Cause you can't buy a house in Heaven_

_There's only three men that Imma serve my whole life_

_It's my daddy and Ohio and Jesus Christ_

_Something, something about the chase_

_**Too many**__ years_

_I'm a New York woman, born to run you down_

_So have my lipstick all over your face_

_Something, something about just knowing when it's right_

_So put your drinks up for Ohio_

_For Ohio, Ohio, I love you_

_You and I…_

The bar vibrated with shouts and applause as Sandy concluded the song. Turning to Paul and focusing all her attention on him again, she gentled her voice and sang the coda sweetly.

_It's been a long time since I came around_

_Been a long time but I'm back in town_

_This time I'm not leaving without you._

Giving a quick bow, Sandy handed the mic back to the DJ and retreated to her seat, slapping a few hands along the way. She sat back down next to her ex-husband, and they shared a long, slow look. Paul brushed a long strand of hair out of Sandy's face, then laid a kiss on her that had the whole table cheering. Both flushing, Paul and Sandy finally turned their attention to the stage, as the DJ announced the next act.

"Rachel Berry, come on up to the mic!"

Once on stage, Rachel began singing a perfectly pitched, though somewhat soulless version of _I'll Stand By You_. _Definitely more Carrie Underwood than Patti Smith_, thought Dave. He looked at Kurt. "I think I have an apology to make tonight after all," he said. "Come with me?"

"Always," said Kurt, squeezing Dave's hand as he was led over to the New Directions table. Their arrival was punctuated by an array of exclamations and hugs. Rachel continued to sing, but blew a kiss to Dave and Kurt between verses.

Bieste signaled the waitress. "Could we get a couple more chairs, please?" she asked. Two were quickly settled next to her, and Dave found himself sitting just one seat away from his parents, who were trying studiously to look at Rachel, and not gawk at him instead. Politely, he waited for Rachel to finish her song, and the DJ to announce he was taking a break for some dance music before moving. Dave stood up, as Usher's _More_ fired up behind him.

He went over to his dad and Sandy, lowering his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said. "It was way out of line, what I said to both of you. It was totally disrespectful, and I'm ashamed of myself."

"David," he heard his dad say, causing him to meet his eyes.

"I don't understand it," Dave said. "I might not ever get it, completely. But you both deserve to be happy. And I will try, as hard as I can, to be supportive of whatever it takes to make that happen." He touched his father's arm. "You've always supported me, even when I told you I wanted to be with other boys. With Kurt. So you deserve at least that much from me." He paused, switching his attention to Sandy. "I still don't know if I trust you," he admitted. "But the two people I love and trust most? They seem to. So I'm taking that into consideration." He looked at Kurt for a minute, then turned back to his parents. "I hope you'll accept my apology, and maybe we can start this whole Thanksgiving break thing over again?"

Paul stood up, quickly enveloping his son in a hug. "We sure can," he said. "Thank you, David. I'm so proud of what a good man you've turned out to be." He let go and looked at Sandy briefly, smiling before turning back to Dave. "You'll back come home with me tonight, then?"

"I'll need to go back to Kurt's and get my stuff," Dave answered. "But yes, I'd like to come home. Thanks, Dad. And thank you, Sandy. I'll try to keep an open mind about this, I promise."

Sandy blinked back tears. "We couldn't ask for anything more, David," she said, taking Paul's hand.

Dave turned back to Kurt, pointing his thumb at the DJ. "So, you think I should go up there and see if he's got _New York, New York_?" He grinined at Kurt's wide eyes and fervent nodding. "Cool. It's on."

_**I hope you enjoyed this revisit to the Mother's Day universe. And didn't mind that I changed some of the words to You and I to be more specific to Sandy and Paul; I know she's Mama Monster, but hopefully I didn't offend much.**_

_**You know what always comes next, the shameless trolling for reviews. ;) Leave one if you can, 'cause they get me and the muse all hot and bothered.**_

_**I now have a clean fic slate for tomorrow's season premier, so your guess is as good as mine what might come from me next!**_


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